Rock Candy

Friday: Jack Oblivian and the Tennesse Tearjerkers

Finally! Or at least, for the first time in a while! One of Memphis' greatest garage rockers makes the short trip to Little Rock. Oblivian, born Jack Yarber in Corinth, Miss., might be the most important figure in Bluff City's vibrant '90s garage-rock revival. He set the tone in the Compulsive Gamblers, a raw but knowing trio co-founded by Greg Cartwright (who'd go on to found the hugely influential Reigning Sound) that borrowed liberally from '50s pop conventions and Memphis roots. When that group broke up in 1995, Yarber and Cartwright formed the Oblivians, a band that only expanded the duo's garage-punk sound. The Compulsive Gamblers later re-emerged, but for most of the aughts, Oblivian's toured as Jack O and the Tennessee Tearjerkers, which has meant everything from Oblivian and a full band with a horn section to just Oblivian. Expect less visceral and more sing-along garage rock this time through, and look out for new music; Oblivian is apparently at work on a new album. The Thomas Jones Duo and Coach open.

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